Can’t argue with women on this beauty thing

WHEN THE pandemic really started to take a stranglehold on Jamaica, I made a decision to try and grow a beard.

I even wrote about it here in this column. Now that decision came after months of not going to the barbershop because mi nuh waan ketch COVID jus’ because me a try look decent. I realised that the old facial hair had grown so much, it didn’t feel right to get rid of it.

Then I started perusing social media and the Internet to see what hairstyles would complement the new look. Found something I thought would work. First time I went to the barber circa August (remember COVID reach yah March) I felt boasy. Even posted on social media and everything.

But it’s been all downhill since then. You see, I have a little issue called eczema but when all the creams and medicinal shampoos are working it’s all good. But once that hair starts to get to a certain height and thickness, God help you! Then before you know, because of work and other stresses, the hair washing and maintenance schedule gets thrown out of whack. So instead of washing the hair twice a week, you end up doing it once a week. And whereas in the early weeks of the growth you knew the hair-care products were getting to the scalp, it turns out to be less so as the hair gets more clumped.

So the semi-matted look became just matted and messy real quick.

And like I said, yours truly has an eczema issue. As anyone who knows about that stuff will tell you, stress and other factors like failure to keep the scalp moisturised, will have rather negative effects. I found that out the hard way recently. Had to go to the barber and bruh, it was not pretty. Good thing my barber is cool (Dre big up yuhself ) because my head never look good at all! I felt like Naaman the l eper in the Bible.

Since then I’ve been using a regimented schedule of washing the rapidly re-growing hair (I decided to shave it bald) and using good ol’ aloe vera to keep things presentable. I’ll update you on how it’s going another time.

The reason for the column this week is to tell all of us who like to criticise women for doing what we consider too much for ‘beauty’, should really shut up. Look, it takes work to keep yourself looking decent. Note I’m not talking about looking glamorous. I’m just talking about looking normal. Even if you’re only using ‘natural’ products, you have to be disciplined. So if we are talking about even more exotic looks, it must take even more effort. We all have the right to feel good about ourselves. So if some people, especially women, put tremendous labour into their appearance, even if we don’t think it looks good, who are we to judge?

Everyone should be free to look their best, regardless of what they consider their best to be.